Nana Anime vs Manga: Which One Tells the Better Story?
Nana is one of the most emotionally powerful and artistically unique stories to come out of the shōjo manga world. Written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, Nana follows the intertwined lives of two young women who share the same name—Nana Osaki, a punk rock singer with a mysterious past, and Nana Komatsu (nicknamed Hachi), a hopeless romantic searching for love and belonging. Their chance meeting on a train to Tokyo sets off a deeply personal and emotional journey that explores friendship, ambition, heartbreak, and the cost of dreams.
But if you’re new to the series, you may be wondering: should I read the manga or watch the anime? Which version tells the story better? In this article, we’ll compare the Nana anime and manga in terms of storytelling, pacing, emotional depth, and completion to help you decide where to start—or what to finish next.
- Storytelling and Depth
The Manga: More Layers, More Insight
The Nana manga is the original source material, and it goes significantly deeper than the anime in terms of character development and story complexity. Ai Yazawa’s storytelling style in the manga is raw, detailed, and emotionally rich. The manga provides internal monologues, extended backstories, and subtle emotional nuances that are hard to fully capture in animation.
One of the biggest strengths of the manga is its slow, immersive pacing. It takes the time to explore each character’s struggles and inner thoughts, making the reader feel more connected to them. Relationships are not just shown—they are felt deeply, with layers of tension and emotional weight.
The Anime: Faithful, But More Condensed
The Nana anime, produced by Madhouse and aired in 2006, does a fantastic job of adapting the manga up to a certain point. It closely follows the storyline, using Ai Yazawa’s art style as inspiration for the animation, and even includes an excellent soundtrack that brings the music-themed story to life.
However, because it only covers the first 21 volumes of the manga (out of 21.5 published so far), the anime doesn’t reach the full depth or complexity of the later story arcs. Some plotlines and character developments are also slightly rushed or condensed due to time constraints.
- Visual Style and Art
The Manga: Ai Yazawa’s Signature Art
Ai Yazawa is known for her stunning, fashion-forward illustrations and expressive characters. The manga’s art is elegant and detailed, with stylish clothing and character expressions that convey deep emotion. Her unique blend of realism and drama makes Nana stand out visually among shōjo manga.
If you enjoy art as much as storytelling, the manga offers a beautifully drawn experience that complements the emotional narrative perfectly.
The Anime: Stylish and Atmospheric
The anime stays faithful to Ai Yazawa’s character designs and brings her world to life with movement, color, and voice acting. While it doesn’t fully replicate the intricate fashion and subtle facial expressions from the manga, the animation style still captures the essence of the characters and their surroundings. The moody color palette and use of lighting add to the dramatic tone of the series.
- Music and Voice Acting
One clear advantage the anime has over the manga is music. Because Nana is partly a story about a punk rock band (Blast) and the music industry, hearing the actual songs performed adds a whole new layer of immersion.
The anime features original songs performed by OLIVIA (for Reira) and Anna Tsuchiya (for Nana Osaki), and they are fantastic. These performances give emotional weight to the performances seen in the story and elevate dramatic scenes.
Voice acting is also a big plus. The anime cast did an exceptional job of bringing the characters to life with emotion and intensity.
- Completion and Continuity
The Manga: Incomplete but Further Along
Unfortunately, the Nana manga has been on indefinite hiatus since 2009 due to Ai Yazawa’s health issues. While the story has not been officially concluded, the manga goes far beyond the events shown in the anime. It explores darker themes, complex character arcs, and a deeper unraveling of the relationships and consequences of earlier choices.
So while it’s incomplete, the manga is still the most complete and authentic version of the story we currently have.
The Anime: Ends Abruptly
The anime ends without a clear conclusion, as it stops midway through the manga’s plot. For new fans, this can be frustrating—especially when the story becomes even more intense and emotional in the later volumes. There’s no second season, and no continuation has been announced since.
- Emotional Impact
While both versions are emotionally gripping, the manga’s slow buildup, unfiltered storytelling, and added layers of character psychology give it a stronger emotional punch. The anime delivers powerful moments with sound and visuals, but it sometimes glosses over subtler scenes that the manga takes time to explore.
If you want the full emotional experience, the manga is the way to go.
Final Verdict: Which One Tells the Better Story?
Read the manga if you want the deepest, most detailed version of the story with full character arcs and rich emotional development. Despite being unfinished, it tells the story in a way that only the original creator could.
Watch the anime if you want a more cinematic experience with music, voice acting, and stylish animation that brings Nana’s world to life. Just be aware that it only covers part of the full story.
Best approach? Do both. Watch the anime for the atmosphere and music, then pick up the manga where the anime leaves off to continue the emotional journey.